Berry-stem remover.



`W. E. URSCHEL. BERRY STEM REMovBR.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 22,1908.

TH: Nanni: Eriks co., wAsHINmN.n. c.

W. E. fURscHEL. v152mm STEM BEMQVBR. l 1L1 1'I.Ic.wio1r FILED JUNI'. 22. 190s.

Qmentea Apr. 2o, 1909.

ru: NaRRIs PETERS ca.. wAsHlNcroN, n. n.

4 WLB. URSGHBL BERRY STEM-REMOVER. Arriacnlon Hmmv Jmg'n 22,1998. 918,933. y l v Patented Apr'.20, 1909.

` BEHEER-SHEET 3.'

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UNITED STATES Y WILLIAM FLURSGHEL, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

BERRY-STEM REMOVER.

Speccaton'of `Letters Patent.

Patented April 2o, 1909.

Application filed June 22, 1908. SerialfNo. 439,691.

To all whom t may concern.- v

Be it knownthat I, .'ViLLiAM E. URscHnL, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Valparaiso, county of Porter, and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Berry-Stein Removers, of which the following is a speciiication.` My invention relates to improvements in devices adapted to remove the stems from berries, and consists in a machine for the Vpurpose mentioned which will be hereinafter fully described.

illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which, Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of thecomplete machine, Fig. 2 isa detail perspective view of abevel-gear housing, Fig 3 is a bottom elevation showing the cutting mechanism of the machine, Fig.` 4 -is a central vertical section of the body portion of V the machine, Fig. 5 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line x of Fig. 4,Figs.` 6

and 7, are horizontal transverse sections taken on the lines y and 2 respectively, of Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view.

Referring now to the drawings@ indicates the body or frame of themachine, and 2, legs adapted to support the body 1. Bearings 3 and 4 are adapted to receive a shaft 5 to which a crank6 is secured, the crank 6 being provided with a handle 7 as shown. The bearing 3 is positioned as shown, and the bearing 4 is formed inthe upper portion of a bracket 8. The bracket 8 vis secured to a transverse horizontal partition 9 by screws 10. Portions of the body sides and the partition 9 form a suitable hopper for'the berries` 11. A bevel-gear 12is rigidly secured to the shaft 5 and is adapted to drive the bevelpinion 13 secured to the shaft 14. The shaftl 14 is provided with an integral crank pin 15 and is journaled in the bracket 10 and in a plate 16 diametrically Vdisposed across the circular opening 17 in the bottom of the body 1. A suitably shaped housing 18 provided with a slot 19 is adapted to protect the bevel-gears '12 and 13 as shown in Fig. 2. A stationary internal gear 20 whose aXis coincides with the axis of the shaft 14, is

rigidly secured 'to the partition 9 by means of the screws 21. A spur-gear 22 is provided with lugs 23 which 'are rigidly secured" to vertical rods 24, which rods are in turn rigidly secured to the member 25.vv The mem- ]v ber 25 is provided with a bushing 26 in which -the crank-pin 15 is journaled. The gear 22 isarranged in such a manner that its axis coincides with the aXisof the crank-pin 15. The gears 20 and 2,2 are adapted to mesh a shown.

When the shaft 14 is rotated the gear 22 revolves bodily in the circle described by the crank-pin 15 in its revolution, but rotates on its own axis only a small part of a revolution. The vibratoryA and slow rotative movement j given to the member 25 and chains connect- The preferred form of my invention is ed therewith, causes berries 11 to have a rolling movement in all directions and a slow revo ving movement on the stationary radially slotted member 27 secured to the blocks 28 by means of screws 29. A guide 30 is riveted to the rods 24 atV the points 31, and is provided with a large aperture 32 and a washer 33 adapted to cover the aperture 32. vCon- .centric rings 34 and 35 are secured to lips 36 and 37 respectively, as shown. Radial rods 3 8 are suitably secured to the rings 34 and 35 and areadapted to support circular rods 39 which are equally spaced by spiral wires 40. Short chainsk 41 depending from the rods 39 are adapted tosupport a plurality of chains 42 as lshown in detail in Fig. 8. The chains 42 form a `flexible covering adapted to conform to all sizes of berries, hence, causing all the berries to roll on the member 27. The guide'30 leads to the opening 43, the berries falling von the member 27 as indicated by a berry 44V. For clearness of illustration, the slotsinthe member 27 are not shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. After the berries have made a complete revolution on the member 27, they are defiected through the opening 45 in the ring 351by means of the spring 46 which is secured to the ring 34 at the point 47. The berriesare then adapted to pass through the centralopening 48 in the member 27 and throu h the opening 17 in the body 1 into a suitab e receptacle beneath the machine, not shown. The rotary cutter for removing the berry stems which extend downwardly through the slots in the member 27, comprises a plurality of knives 49 having bevel cutting edges 50. The knives 49 are secured to aflat ring 51 and to a diametricallydisposed plate 52 by means of the rivets 53. The plate 52 is Vsecured to theshaft 14 and is adapted to rotate therewith. The opening permit the berry stems to escape.

Having described my invention what I 54 in the base of the body lis provided to 110 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft journaled in said frame, a crank 'formed on said shaft and means for driving said shaft, in combination with a horizontal disk rotatably mounted on said crank, an internal gear iixedto said frame, a spur gear rigidly connected to said disk and meshing with the iirst said gear, a pair oil concentric annular members depending from said disk and forming an annular raceway between them, a stationary slotted plate arranged beneath said members and forming a bottom l'or said raceway, and a knii'e fixed to said shaft and rotatable therewith beneath said slotted plate, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft journaled in said l'rame, a crank formed on said shalt and means Vfor driving said shaft in combination with a disk rotatably connected to said crank, an internal gear iixed to said frame, a spur gear rigidly connected to said disk and meshing with. the first said gear, a pair of concentric annular members depending from said disk and forming an annular raceway between them, a stationary slotted plate arranged beneath said members and forming a bottom for said raceway, means for feeding' berries to said raceway, a flexible device vfor holding the berries in contact with said slotted plate and a rotary knife arranged beneath said plate and coacting therewith, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination with a frame, a drive shalt journaled therein, means for driving said shaft, a crank formed on said shaft, a hepper and a guide, a rotary member mounted on said crank, an internal gear secured to a portion of said hopper, a spur gear adapted to mesh with said internal gear and rigidly secured to said rotary member, the axis of said spur gear being coincident with the axis of said crank, concentric rings secured to said member, chains suspended between said rings, a slotted member secured to said frame beneath said rings, and a rotary cutter arranged beneath said slotted member and adapted to coact therewith, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination with a frame, a drive shaft journaled therein means 'lor driving said. shalt, a crank formed on said shaft, a rotary member mounted on said crank, an internal gear iixedly mounted in said i'rame, a spur gear adapted to mesh with said internal gear and rigidly secured to said rotary member, concentric rings secured to said member, a l'rame arranged between said rings, a plurality oi' chains suspended from said frame, a slotted member secured to said `l'rame beneath said rings, and a rotary cutter arranged beneath said slotted member and adapted to coact therewith, substantially as described.

5. In a device oi the class described, in combination with a i'rame, a drive shaft journaled therein means lor driving said shaft, a crank Vl'ormed on said sha'l't, a rotary member mounted on said crank means l'or slowlT rotating said member as the shafl't is rapidly rotated, concentric rings depending from said member, radial rods and circular rods supported by said rings, ilexible members depending from said rods, horizontally disposed members suspended l'rom the first said flexible members, a slotted member secured to said i'rame beneath said rings, and a rotary cutter arranged beneath said slotted member and adapted to coact therewith, substantially as described.

6. In a device ol the class described, a i'rame, a shalt journaled in said l'ranle, a crank formed on said shalt and means 'l'or driving said shai't, in combination with a rotary member mounted on said crank,

means i'or slowly rotating said member as the sha'l't is rapidly rotated, concentric rings depending i'rom said member l'orming a race\ Yay ior berries between them, a slotted member secured to said l'rame beneath said rings and provided with a central aperture, a rotary cutter arranged beneath said slotted member, means for feeding berries to said raceway and means i'or guiding the berries `from said raceway to said aperture, substantially as described.

In testimony whereol'I I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. URSCHEL.

Witnesses JANET E. HOGAN, HELEN F. IJILLIs. 

